Oates
by Heather Giesbrecht
Summary: <html><head></head>This was completely and utterly bogus, he'd passed the assignment after all. First movie ending A/U, eventual Ted/Bill. Chapter 9 posted - Startle.</html>
1. Plane

_Author's Note: _Hey, how's everybody doing ? I hope you're good. This is my first Bill & Ted fic so please excuse any small discrepancies and, again, just so we're clear it will eventually be Ted/Bill.

So here's the story run down :

**Emphasize**

_'First person thought'_

_"Thought Bill."_

* * *

><p><span><strong>Plane<strong>

Theodore 'Ted' Logan couldn't believe this, it was…it was, like, the most impossibly heinous thing he'd heard in the history of ever. _'__This is completely and utterly bogus; I passed the assignment with an A+. He can__'__t do this to me, the future needs me and more importantly, __**Bill**__ needs me.__'_

His dad, tall, black-haired and brown-eyed just like him, gave him a 'cop look' and said, "Don't even try, Ted. I know why you passed, there's only one possible reason. The reason you buckled down is simple and it's not because you actually wanted to pass, it's because of Bill and that idiotic band. You need real discipline and since you won't listen to me, you need to go to Oates Military Academy. Trust me when I say that someday you'll thank me for this someday, Theodore Logan. Now go and pack."

He, still, protested anyway, "But, dad, you can't."

"Well, I am, go pack, **now ! **We leave in two hours."

It made him sigh, "Yes, sir."

His heart leapt at the knock on the door and sank at, "**I** will answer it."

Slowly, he trudged to his bedroom to throw the old brown suitcase on the bed, open it and start jamming things in it. A minute later, his blond-haired and most excellent of friends William 'Bill' Preston, Esq. walked into the room and exclaimed, "Ted, dude, I don't even know what to say ! This isn't what Rufus said would happen."

As he snarled, "Well, maybe Rufus lied to us about the future ! Maybe he lied to us about the Wyld Stallyns, too ! Maybe he's just a bogus fraud and we got **majorly **conned. My dad's being a major dickweed and I don't want to leave, Bill.", he pushed the suitcase onto the floor, scattering clothes all over.

It made him startle when, suddenly, there were warm hands rubbing his shoulders, "Calm down, man, I haven't seen you angry in a long time. I know, I don't want you to go to Oates either.", and he leaned back against Bill subconsciously.

Eventually, he calmed down and Bill helped him pack up. All too soon, dad, himself and Bill stood in front of a plane. He didn't really notice the surroundings as his heartbeat was pounding in his ears when Bill hugged him, "I'm gonna miss you. Don't forget about me, bro."

"I won't, I'll see you later. When I get back you'll have to teach me those awesome guitar lessons you're gonna learn. Deal ?"

"Deal."

They both said, "Excellent.", then he forced himself to move and get on the plane. After he'd put his luggage away and sat down, the plane started to move. He looked past his seatmate - a dark-blond, dark-blue/gray eyed and tan-skinned dude, out the window. Bill was doing air guitar and dad was face palming.

It made him smile, beside him the dark-blond asked, "Who are you ?"

For a second without Bill to help him out, he floundered, "My name's Ted, dude. Err, I mean my name is Theodore 'Ted' Logan."

Dark-blond grinned, "Awesome, it's nice to meet you, Ted. Now, man, you calm down until you meet the Colonel or you'll just psyche yourself out. I'm good at growing on trees. By that I mean I'm Jim, Jim Moss."

"Thanks, Jim."

He and Jim shook hands as the plane took off, he looked through the window again. Bill was still grinning and waving like crazy. _'__I__'__m really gonna miss him, but, at least, I__'__ll have one friend at Oates.__'_


	2. Oates

**Oates**

It was a bright and cold morning as Ted, still bleary-eyed from sleep, stepped off the plane and onto another runway. He groaned as he dropped the suitcase on the tarmac. His legs were tingling from sitting so long. Jim stopped beside him, in the loosely forming line, the black duffle bag slung over his shoulder. A guy with light-brown skin in loose, dark-green clothes stood in front of them, the man had really short, graying hair. The dude was saying something and a thought popped into his head, _'__Huh, that dude looks a lot like a bowl of old oatmeal.__'_

Beside him, Jim chuckled quietly and the old dude walked up to stand in front of him. Despite the man being way shorter than him, like Napoleon's height, he was heavily muscled with piercing, gray-eyes. Flinched as the man asked, "What'd you just say to me, son ?"

Bill's voice in his head, _"__Ted, man, you forgot to filter. That__'__s, like, majorly important, dude, remember ? It__'__s like that time you said Mrs. Maus looked like a bat and got sent to the principal__'__s office and you got that hideously atrocious chalk-brush cleaning detention for the whole week.__"_

As he back-pedalled, "Err, it's nothing against you, dude-sir. You just sort of resemble-", he had the very bogus feeling that he'd just insulted Colonel Oates.

"You think I'm funny looking, huh ? Well, what's your name then, funny man ?"

"Err, Logan, Theodore Logan, Colonel, sir."

That had the Colonel raising an eyebrow, "Hmm, well, why don't you **walk** to the academy, Cadet Logy ? While the rest of us ride the bus. If you have the energy to be funny, surely you have the energy to walk after all the academy is only five…miles…from here and it'll be good practice for the rest of your stay. Find your way to the barracks and mess hall after you're done putting your things away and cleaning up. Just maybe you'll get there in time for breakfast."

"Yes, Colonel Oates, sir."

Jim gave him a sympathetic look, and muttered, while the colonel walked away, "Yeah, **old** Oates.", as the about fifteen or twenty other cadets followed the colonel toward the gray bus.

'_Logi, what ? Isn't that a bean or something ?' _

"_No, Ted, he's calling you lazy."_

'_He could've just said that. I miss you already, Bill.' _

As the bus started up and moved off, he shook his head. _'__Nice going, Ted, first day and the colonel already doesn__'__t like you. Five miles, that__'__s harsh, better get started or I won__'__t get anywhere. At least, if Colonel Oates had heard Jim I wouldn't have to do it alone.__'_

He picked up the suitcase and walked off the tarmac onto the side road after the bus. It was mainly flat, green plains with a bunch of flowers and stuff. When his legs had finally stopped tingling and just turned numb, something happened. _'This is boring, ooh, rabbit. It's blond, cute and fluffy…just like Bill. Bad Ted, bad, you're not supposed to think like that. It's not cool, dude, you know that.'_

A little yellow rabbit had just hopped across the road in front of him. Somehow, he sensed the bird, dropped his suitcase and lunged to scoop-up the 'Bill' rabbit as a hawk practically screeched in his ear. He got up and turned the rabbit to look at it, it even had dark-brown eyes, and he stroked the rabbit's fur as it trembled, "Don't worry, my furry, little, friend who sort of looks like Bill, I've got you."

'_Why's it so wrong that I wish it actually was Bill and not a rabbit ? It didn't feel 'weird' when Bill was calming me down earlier. Therefore, it's not that different from Joe Burns and Sally Moore's thing. Except that Joe and Sally could make-out almost whenever they want. What's better Colonel Oates, or a rabbit ? The rabbit cause, at least, he's nice.'_

When the rabbit stopped shaking he, rather reluctantly, put it down, with a, "See you later, awesome little rabbit dude." Then he picked up his suitcase and continued down the road. The road had turned from pavement into dirt, so he followed the tire-tracks to the academy.

There was some sort of tollbooth type thing across the road. As he approached it, he became aware of the fact that he was panting and covered in sweat. _'That's not a good sign and it's only going to get worse. He-ey, that looks like the time machine. Wish I could use it to get out of this, where's Rufus when I want him ? Nowhere, that's where.' _


	3. Range

**Range**

Ted ran a hand through his hair; it was odd having it short. Still, he felt somewhat better as the gun range's dividers and tables came into sight. Back in Gr. 10 when his 'tendencies' began cropping up, dad had gotten him into gun training in such a way as to try and 'normalize' him. He'd kept it up only so he wouldn't get angry with Bill, Deacon or dad. Not that it had always worked, but most of the time it had, last night had been the first time in a long time.

Before he, Bill and dad had left the house last night, Deacon had said he was supposed to, "Do cool stuff for me." Well, the morning walk followed by cold oatmeal and toast, which was itself followed by a chewing out from the colonel, and then getting his hair cut wasn't exactly something to call home, or Bill, about.

**Flashback**

He set down the tray as he sank down onto the bench at the bare-metal table, beside the white wall. Jim sat across from him in the green uniform, like the one he'd just barely changed into, and then Colonel Oates asked, "What did you think of your walk, Cadet ?"

'_It was bogus, except for the rabbit __'__Bill__'__.__'_

"Bodacious, Colonel."

"Don't lie to me, Logan. What did you really think of it ?"

"Most of it was quite tiring and horrendous, sir."

"Good, now, that was your first lesson, Cadets. If anyone else thinks their funny or want's to get funny, don't follow in Cadet Logy's footsteps or you'll be catching up to him in no time and tripping yourselves."

It made him cringe when the others laughed except for Jim and the dark-olive skinned, dark-brown haired man next to him. Said man in a very quiet voice introduced himself as, "Soren Mason."

**End Flashback**

He looked over at Jim and Soren, Soren looked nervous and kind of green as they stopped in a line in front of the range.

Jim asked, "Are you all right, Soren ?"

Soren answered, "N-no.", as he wrung his hands together. Noticed that Soren was eyeing the pair of earmuffs and eye-goggles like it was going to snap him in half like Genghis on a horrendously bad day.

Slowly, he reached around Jim to put a hand on Soren's shoulder, "What's wrong, man ?"

"I-I, ah, I'm not t-too great wi-with guns."

"_You__'__re, like, stupendous at this stuff, Ted, try something.__"_

'_Are you sure, Bill ? Err, voice that sounds like Bill ?__'_

"_Yeah, dude, you__'__re basically radical.__"_

"You'll do fine, they're not going to try n' bite you, Soren. All you have to do is keep a good stance, grip and aim n' then, well, you'll be soaring."

They laughed quietly and Jim muttered, "Soaring Soren, I think that'll be your nickname now."

The whisper faded before Colonel Oates stopped beside them and the shorter man questioned, "Do you want to know something, Cadets ? Like, why I have yet to hand you over to Sergeant O'Hare or Sergeant Smith, Cadets ?"

A general response of, "Yes, sir."

The colonel started walking down the line, looking up at, nearly, every one of them and eyeing them critically before he said, "The reason is rather simple, in all my time running this academy I've never had so many people signed up for discipline and authority problems. So, I will make sure that when you leave my academy either you will leave worthy of its name, or you will leave it crying in shame."

'_Heh, that last bit rhymed.__'_

"_Dude, Ted, __**again**__, focus on what he said.__"_

'_Oh, right, thanks man. Ye-ah, that doesn__'__t sound fun. It sounds like that depressingly bogus iron maiden thing the royal ugly dude wanted to put us in.__'_

"_It is really harsh, but you can do it, Ted, I know you can. Besides shouldn__'__t you earn those awesome lessons I__'__m going to teach you ? Or rather that real Bill is ?__"_

Out of habit, he started smiling until he remembered what the colonel had said about visible emotions making you vulnerable to enemies and that was going to be stopped while at the academy. '_What if you think of something really funny ? Or someone runs straight into a brick wall while getting chased by, like, snails because their terrified of them ? Like when it happened to Maurice Phillips way back in Gr. 2. Seriously, this poker face thing is hard.__'_

Someone, a girl, asked, "What if you don't agree with an order, sir ?"

"Unless in the very unlikely occurrence that you are given permission to disobey, you will obey it anyway, or you will be punished with whatever I think is necessary for you to learn. Tell me, Cadet Wilson, what is this place ?"

He looked down the line to see a girl with red-hair and tan-skin who replied, "It's a gun range, sir."

'_I really, really do need to pay more attention to things.__'_

"Does anyone wish to elaborate on Cadet Wilson's very lengthy response ?"

It surprised him that Soren answered, in a steady voice, "It's a place to train and use all manner of guns and rifles. Sir."

"Well, Cadet Mason, perhaps you can also do a demonstration for us. Get out a Colt from the gun storage, ammo from its storage and do a test round. Guns on the right, Ammos on the left."

Soren nodded, stepped out of the line and walked over to the pair of big, silver warehouses as the colonel continued, following Soren, "Every time you need a weapon for exercises, you will approach one of the Sergeants or myself. Otherwise, you will be reprimanded and punished for trying to break in without authorization. Is that clear, Cadets ?"

"Sir, yes, sir."

A few minutes later, he was cringing from behind his table as Soren missed the target for the fourth time; the bullet, probably, flew through the fence and into the prairie beyond. He barely held back the cheer as the next two bullets actually hit the target's center.

Colonel Oates growled at Soren, "You need to vastly improve your aim, Cadet Stone, your aim's as bad, if not worse, than a drunken statue's."

'_Drunk statues ? I thought that was, like, impossible, unless you were tripping. Then again, I did, probably, get suckered by a sanctimonious, and likely lying, time-travelling dude.__'_

Then it was the rest of theirs turn, it wasn't surprising since he'd been practicing for a few years that he hit the target every time. When he was done, he ejected the magazine and then cleared the rounds from the chamber, before locking the safety and putting it down.

It startled him when the graying, dark-brown haired man said, "Nice work, Logy, it's seems your practice with your father did pay off. Today, I will inform Sergeant O'Hare that yourself and Cadet Mason will be using the range at 1300 hundred hours tomorrow afternoon so that he can supervise. Cadet Stone can use all the help he can get."

"Ah, thank-you, Colonel and yes, sir, we'll be here."

'_A compliment ? Whoa, but what sort of time is 1300 hours ? Where__'__s Bill, or sound-alike Bill, when I need him ?__'_

"_Right here, buddy. That means it__'__s going to be, like, one o__'__clock in the afternoon tomorrow. 1400 hours is two o__'__clock and so on.__"_

'_S. Bill why are you in my head ?__'_

"_You don__'__t think it, but, you__'__re really stressed out, man. I__'__m just here to help you cope until you don__'__t need me anymore.__"_

Colonel Oates left him to walk down the line to, as he leaned out to see, check on Cadet Wilson. Almost suddenly, the colonel was calling for a cease-fire and they were locking up the Colts before heading to the mess hall for lunch.


	4. Call

**Call**

Ted knew he was dreaming when he was laid out on his bed at home, and Bill walked in. As he looked up, the curly-haired blond asked, "How's it going ?"

"Well, it's not completely bogus since I made some new friends. Still, most of it's boring and there's, like, a hellacious lot of running. It's killing me, I mean, dude, this week my whole body's been hurting like crazy."

"Think about it for a second, Ted. It's like a whole new routine, take for example my guitar lessons, it's majorly confusing at first and then it gets easier as you memorize it. Plus, it'll be totally worth it, dude, you'll have babes hanging all over you."

The thought, _'__Well, what if I don__'__t want them ?__'_, echoed in his head as he was awoken by a shout of, "Wake up, you sorry excuses for cadets ! Atten-tion !"

After a week of it, he didn't even stumble, much less fall out of bed, as he got up and stood at the foot of the bed. The first time it'd happened on Sunday they'd all gotten yelled at for being lazy and not standing straight enough, then they'd had to do two extra laps around the academy.

Shook himself out of it and looked at Sergeant O'Hare, as the man walked along the aisle towards him. The sergeant had short, blond-hair and bright-green eyes.

'_I can__'__t believe how helpful he was on Sunday. Soren and I would never have gotten those tips otherwise. Sergeant O__'__Hare was a lot nicer than Sergeant Smith. Then again, Sergeant Smith__'__s even older than Colonel Oates and he doesn__'__t like the way I talk. At least, after that incident, Sergeant O__'__Hare was awesome enough to explain that using too much slang can mess up orders n__'__ stuff.__'_

When the man had stopped surveying them, he said in a regular tone, "At ease, now today is a good day for you, because it is the day that you're allowed to call home for twenty minutes. You will have this opportunity once a week or every two if it is revoked. You have from 600 hours this morning up until 800 hours this evening. If you forget, even if you are only two minutes late, you will wait until next week. Is that clear ?"

'_Yes, finally ! Ah, only twenty ? Only twenty, that__'__s bogus. Doesn__'__t matter, except a little, but, who am I going to call first ? Dad and Deacon or Bill ?__'_

He wasn't the only one who's, "Yes, Sergeant O'Hare.", was obviously trying to suppress the happiness that wanted to escape.

"Good, now dismissed to the mess hall."

When he walked into the mess hall, the white-haired, tanned-skinned and gray-eyed Sergeant Smith gave him the stink eye.

Four hours later, he was waiting for his turn at the payphone behind the red-haired female cadet Maria; they'd started calling her 'Wilful' Wilson after she'd stood up to Sergeant Smith's totally heinous and sexist attitude on Wednesday during tactics class.

'_Now, that__'__s a dude who really needs to loosen up. I know he__'__s awesome deep down and all for his six tours, but, it__'__s not World War 1 anymore. Dude, focus, she__'__s got thirty seconds.__'_

He could barely restrain himself from checking his watch yet, again; since he'd finally remembered to wind it after the all-day physical course on Monday. It almost made him sigh in relief as Maria said, "Yeah, we'll talk again next week, Mom, Bye.", and hung up.

Maria turned and slipped past him and the others, as he walked up to the phone and dialled home first. Seconds later, his dad answered with, "Logan Household."

'_Why couldn__'__t it have been Deacon ? At least, he__'__d be excited about my calling home to ask if I__'__d done any cool stuff yet. I__'__d have stuff to tell him too.__'_

The memory of his dad's, "Stupid band.", comments echoed in his head. He, awkwardly, managed, "Uh, hey, dad."

It surprised him when dad, almost, sounded happy, "I have to say I'm happy I have yet to get a call about you from the academy. So, what do you think about it, Ted ?"

"It's tiring, but it's not bad. I mean, Sergeant O'Hare is an awesome dude and I've made a few friends."

"See this is why I sent you to Oates. To, finally, respect authority and get some actual, productive friends, instead of that layabout Preston."

"Bill's not a layabout, dad, he's my best friend."

Dad's answer was an angry, "If you call him your best friend, I don't want to think about who you call your worst. I'll pick you up for Christmas, that's it.", and then the phone went dead.

Slowly, he shook his head as he hung up, and then picked it up again before he dialled Bill's house. Checked him watch and saw that he still had fifteen minutes; this time, his heart thudded in his throat as he waited an eternity for someone to pick up.

'_Please let it be Bill, please let it be him.__' _

Disappointment flooded through him as Missy answered, "Hello ?"

"Err, hi, Missy, it's Ted. Is Bill at home ?"

"He's at those guitar lessons, I think. Oh, wait a second."

In the background he heard the door open and close, Bill's voice asked, "Who is it, Mi, ah, Mom ?"

"It's Ted."

The sound of an enthusiastic, "Awesome !," as Bill raced over to the phone. Bill said, "Ted", at the same time that he replied, "Bill." A simultaneous, "Dude, stop it.", had them both laughing.

'_God, I missed him, I didn__'__t really realize just how much until now.__'_

"So, is Alaska bogus or what, man ? I've been, like, majorly heinously dying to know since you left."

"Some of it's like really tiring, it's all the running and the training courses. Seriously, my legs are still sore from on Monday and Friday. I've made a few friends too, Jim Moss, Soren Mason and, uh, Maria Wilson."

"Cool, so did you tell them about Wyld Stallyns ?"

"You think I couldn't ? Jim and Maria think it's awesome. Did you find a guy for those guitar lessons yet ?"

"Yeah, and, dude, you won't believe who it is."

'_It can__'__t be, that__'__s like a one-in-a-million chance. That__'__s like impossible.__'_

His excitement and his disbelief warred with each other as he exclaimed, "No way, dude, no-freaking-way ! That's, like, you're bluffing, Bill Preston, you've gotta be bluffing, aren't you ?"

Bill laughed as he answered, " Yes way ! Eddie Van Halen is teaching me to play guitar for free ! He said, "Rufus said to tell you that he sent me as a sign that he wasn't lying to either of you. Whatever that means, man, let's see what you can do." So, Ted, do you think we still got conned ? I mean, if he was bogus and lying about us, why would he send Eddie Van Halen to teach me to teach you how to play guitar ?"

'_Eddie Van Halen. Eddie Van Halen ! Is teaching Bill, who__'__s going to teach me !__'_

"You've got a bodacious point there. It really wouldn't make sense, so, I guess we're not getting conned after all. How are they going ? Man, I wish I could be there, it sounds majorly awesome."

"I know, I do too, it's just not the same without you, Ted, and you're missing a majorly awesome time. Oh, dude, Deacon's here too, he got in a fight with your dad about you being in Alaska cause he wanted to go along."

"Huh, I just had a fight with my dad about Alaska and you, that's odd, man. Hey, could you put Deacon on for me ?"

"Sure, dude.," The sound of Bill pulling the phone away and shouting, "Deacon, Ted wants to talk to you."

He almost laughed at the shout of, "Hi, Ted !" as he heard Deacon thundering down the staircase, likely, from Bill's room.

When Deacon got the phone he answered, "Hey, Deacon."

"Have you done cool stuff yet ? Have you, have you ?"

"Of course, I did. You know on Monday I saw this, like, really weird white eagle sitting on the barracks roof."

"Aw, man that's so cool."

There was a tap on his shoulder from Jim, who also muttered, "Forty seconds, Teddy."

In response, he nodded and reluctantly, said, "I've got to go now, Deacon. Tell Bill I'll call him next week, or the week after, 'kay ?"

"Yeah, I miss you, Ted."

"You too, Deacon. Bye."

"Bye."

Now, it was his turn to hang up first and as he spun on his heel, despite the fact he'd just heard from Bill and Deacon, he felt a lot more alone then before he'd called. Still, Eddie Van Halen was teaching Bill guitar. He grinned and it felt a bit odd after a whole week of trying to keep a straight face no matter what.


	5. Scrape

**Scrape**

Ted stared at the back of Jim's head as he ran; he'd been doing that a lot since he'd called Bill. It was totally, ridiculously, heinous that they suddenly had to look so alike, it'd started messing up his dreams. Even though Jim's hair was darker than Bill's, he supposed to his mind it didn't really matter because he wanted Bill to be here.

'_What would__'__ve happened if Bill had come here too ? Bill would be pretty good at this running, seeing when Missy first started dating Mr. Preston he took to running around to keep his mind off it. He could__'__ve just gone to the range with me, we could__'__ve talked then__…__Jim and Maria might be interested in Wyld Stallyns, but I miss being able to __**really**__ talk about it.__'_

Jim was doing better at the running than him. Nearly everyone was, but, he'd gotten a lot better in the last three weeks, his body had stopped hurting after every run and course so, it was a start, at least. Lately, it had started raining a lot and this morning it had started to snow a bit. Behind him Sergeant Smith snarled, "Another lap, Logan." and he took a deep breath, before he ran past Soren, Jim and Maria as his friends stopped by the gatehouse.

'_I told the sergeant when it happened and, again, last week that I didn__'__t mean to do it. Those fighting lessons are radical and he __**did**__ sneak up on me, so I ended up hitting him. It__'__s partially his own fault he got hit. Ugh, I__'__ve been doing this for what a week ? Sucks that S. Bill disappeared and I haven__'__t seen rabbit Bill__…__hey ! It__'__s rabbit Bill, aw crap, eagle !__'_

He threw himself on the ground as the white eagle, that'd been hanging around the academy for some reason, flew inches over his head. As he raised himself up, a bit of stinging told him that he'd scraped his palms on the still thawing gravel.

Sergeant Smith exclaimed, as the old man stopped beside him, "Logan ! Why are we getting dive-bombed by a fucking bird ?"

As he rubbed his palms on the back of his shirt, he replied, "Sir, I don't know, sir."

"That's fair enough. Now, go to the infirmary, get cleaned up and then finish your lap."

"Thank you, sir, I swear I will, Sergeant Smith."

The white-haired man nodded and gestured him away, so he started on his way back to the gatehouse. Maria, Soren and Jim were waiting, Maria wondered, "What're you doing back so soon, Teddy ?"

In response, he raised his palms, "Well, Wilful, I nearly got brained by that eagle. I've got to get cleaned up and finish the lap."

Jim winced, "That looks painful, I'm just surprised he let you go first."

Soren nodded, patted his shoulder and urged him toward the infirmary. When he got inside the white tilted and plastered room, Sergeant O'Hare was there sitting on one of the beds. The green-eyed man raised blond eyebrows, "What are you doing here, Cadet ?"

"Almost got attacked by a white eagle, sir. Can I ask about you ?"

When Sergeant O'Hare tilted his head he saw the darkening bruise, "Mmhm, you see Logan, Gate Officer Monroe decided he didn't like me, anymore, and I got punched for it. So, what'd you do to get attacked by an eagle ?"

That made him chuckle, "I saved a little rabbit from it the day I arrived. It reminded me of my friend Bill, since it had kind of curly, blond fur. I guess it wanted to get back at me for that."

"Hmm, is it a cute rabbit, at least, apart from that ?"

'_Did he just, does he ? Can I__…__could I tell him ? I mean, I haven__'__t even told Jim, Maria or Soren.__'_

He blushed slightly as he admitted, "Yeah, it totally is."

"Does the rabbit know about that ?"

"No, sir and my dad doesn't want me to admit that I like the rabbit."

Sergeant O'Hare shook his head, "It's a shame that is, some people are really quite understanding. Well, if it doesn't work out for some reason, there's plenty of nice rabbits around."

"Hmm, well, I'm hoping it won't come to that."

A nurse walked in and made small talk while she cleaned the sergeant's bruise and his palms.

When he finished his run for Sergeant Smith and got to the mess hall, he noticed that everyone was waiting. The graying dark-brown haired colonel raised an eyebrow, "Why are you late, Logan ?"

He looked down into the colonel's gray-eyes as he answered, "Sir, Sergeant Smith and I were dive-bombed by an eagle. I got scraped and had to go to the infirmary before finishing my run, thus resulting in my being late, Colonel Oates, sir."

The shorter man nodded, "Eat something, Logan, considering you've all been doing well for starting out. I've arranged an outing to a near-by town by bus. Yes, even for you Cadet Logy."

'_Yes, thank you, Colonel Oates. No walking today ! I wonder where rabbit Bill went ? I didn__'__t see him when I was finishing the lap. Did the eagle get him while I was in the infirmary ? That__'__d be heinous, I hope the little dude__'__s okay. Aw man, I forgot to tell Deacon about rabbit Bill. He would__'__ve thought it was awesome.__'_

Time blurred as he ate and then he, Jim, Soren and Maria were sitting on the bus, waiting to leave the academy.


	6. Town

**Town**

Some instinct had made Ted wander away from Jim and others, past a white-skirted, black-trimmed pawnshop into a litter-strewn, but otherwise clean alley. _'__I wonder if Rufus is anywhere around here ? I mean I__'__ve felt bad for weeks since I said he lied to us. Okay, whoa, that guy__'__s huge.__'_

Said man was probably about 6'5, still with tanned-skin despite the slew of clouds/rain/drizzle lately, the man's hair was shoulder-length, deep brown and sort of wavy/fluffy, while the man's eyes were a cold, dull-brown.

Found himself cringing away as the man loomed over him. Seconds later, the man almost seemed to, was the guy sniffing him ? As it started to snow, there was a gravelly rumble, "You smell like rabbit…like food."

'_Ah, I don__'__t like this. I don__'__t like this at all, S. Bill where are you ?__'_

"_Just run, dude, run like hell. I don__'__t want you getting eaten by some cannibalistic dickweed.__"_

A hand landed on his shoulder and then, "Ted, I think we should be leaving now."

"Rufus…ah."

The tall, short graying, blond-haired time-traveller was suddenly pulling him backwards so fast he nearly fell. It was only when Rufus had neared a little coffee shop that they stopped. After he was released, he turned and said, "I'm sorry I got mad and called you a liar Rufus."

Rufus nodded, "I know, it's just too bad you have to wait until Christmas while everyone else gets to visit home earlier. Well, you'll have a nice present at least."

He grinned, "I know, it'll be awesome when I finally get to see Bill again. Rufus…why did, how could he tell that I smell like rabbit ? I can't smell it, so how could he ?"

"I'm sorry, Ted, but you're going to have find that out yourself."

'_Rufus knows what that was about ? So, it__'__s got something to do with the future then ?__'_

Figured that he must have said it out loud because Rufus answered, "Yes, yes, it does. Now, you should go down the street and turn right you'll run into Maria. That's all the help I can give you for now. Good luck, Ted."

"Thanks, Rufus." After he said thanks, he half-turned to see Rufus swiftly walking away from him to disappear into the swiftly thickening snow. Since he knew he could trust the 'traveller, he followed Rufus' instructions and Maria, literally, ran into him as he turned the corner.

His red-haired friend looked relieved, "There you are Teddy, we've been looking for you. Where'd you go ? It's time for lunch."

"Oh, yeah, I wandered off and ran into this totally heinous, huge, grizzly bear-looking dude. This one other guy helped me get away, but then he like disappeared into the snow. Where are we going ?"

"A place called Warren's Diner, apparently they've got elk burgers from what Major Mann said."

Major Mann was the light-blond, brown-eyed woman who would start teaching them survival classes on Monday and eventually start arranging survival exercises.

"Maria, what's an elk ? Is that like a fruit or something ?"

"It's like a deer, but bigger and with more antlers, they're also white and brown-furred."

That didn't help anything, "What's a deer ?"

"_It__'__s brown-furred and got four-legs, it__'__s like, like a really big dog.__"_

'_Oh, you mean veal__'__s or was it venison__'__s ? My mom used to make those when you__'__d come over for supper, remember ?__'_

"_Dude, that was awesome. What happened to your mom anyway ?__"_

As he followed Maria down the street, he answered S. Bill, _'__I don__'__t know, my Dad doesn__'__t like talking about it. Whenever I__'__d ask he__'__d get mad and send me to my room, so I stopped asking.__'_

"_What if she was like a bodacious super secret spy babe or something and she had to leave to keep you guys safe ? I bet she was hot if you look anything like her.__"_

It was a weird thing/messed-up comment for S. Bill to 'say' and it still got an odd blush from him. _'__If only real Bill would say something like that. Well, not that, but__…__ah, well, uh, something like it. Damn it, Ted, shut up you__'__re not supposed to think it either. Well, Dr. Freud could__'__ve tried to help me with it.__'_

Maria and he had entered a huge, dark-brown wood panelled diner with cracked, dark-blue seat covers. _'__Ooh, shiny, focus, focus, man. You__'__re getting really weird S. Bill and shut up.__'_

"_Sorry, Ted.__"_

At one of the longer center, tables Soren ran a hand through his dark-brown hair and nudged Jim before calling, "Glad you made it back, Teddy. Jim move your chair over would you ?"

"Sure, I will buddy. Grab a chair, will ya ?"

'_Soren sure has gotten a lot more confident since we met the first day, hasn__'__t he ?__'_

Soren's dark-olive skin was a nice contrast compared to the cold and snow outside as he grabbed a chair from an empty table, then sat between his friends. Major Mann walked around from the other side and up to him, the slightly shorter woman asked, "Are you all right, Cadet Logan ? According to your friends you were gone for a while."

"I'm fine, thank you for asking, Major."

He did end up trying and liking the elk burger, leading him to wonder if Bill would like it too. Though, of course, eventually they had to go back to the academy, still it was a nice day overall.


	7. Survival

**Survival**

Ted sighed as he let the pack fall into the deep snow, before he started scooping out a hollow and pulled some paper scraps to put in the hollow along with two stones to strike over it. Pulled off his gloves and started hitting the stones, after a while there was a tiny spark and he started blowing on it.

They'd gone from open plains/tundra to a bit of a pine forest yesterday, so the fire would have to be watched more than ever. Around him, the others settled their packs as Major Mann was making the camp radius, while an owl, who was likely waking up, hooted somewhere near-by. It was only Soren, himself, Maria and Major Mann who were allowed to participate in the exercise now. Maria had 'broken' her leg 'falling into a burrow'.

As for Jim - he was 'dead', he'd been 'killed' by a fall into a stream and hitting his head on a rock. While Jim and Maria would be camped on the outer ring, Soren was getting out the dead birds that Maria had caught this morning. Currently, they were two days out from the academy.

'_I don__'__t think I__'__d be really be willing to eat if she__'__d caught a rabbit, it__'__d look too much like rabbit Bill. Huh, I wonder how many of Sergeant O__'__Hare__'__s group are still alive ? Probably more than ours, Sergeant Smith will have even more than the most of ours. I wonder if old Oates misses doing exercises like this, it seems like something he__'__d enjoy doing.__'_

He'd just got the fire going when the major barked, "Logan, your hand is burned by the flames. You're down to your left hand and your feet, you've got morning watch and Soren's got evening."

'_Oh no, my hand it burns, it burns. Oh god, I am totally ridiculous, suppose I might as well practice wrapping with my left hand.__'_

"Yes, Major."

Maria muttered playfully, "You're dead next Teddy."

A pair of birds flew by overhead and he replied, "Your birds got away again, go and get 'em, Wilful."

Maria chuckled, "Too much like work, I'm almost 'dead', you ass. Soaring, go get Teddy your nuts won't you ?"

Jim broke in, "Ah, that's too much work, he can just have mine with those birds o' yours."

They all laughed, even Major Mann, as Soren dug out some nuts they'd found buried in the snow at lunch along with a few herbs he'd managed to dig up at the same time.

It was hard practicing bandage wrapping with his less coordinated hand, it was even harder un-doing and laying out his sleeping bag for later. Since the town outing four days ago, S. Bill had stuck around to keep him company again.

'_Birds, nuts and herbs, what__'__dya think of that S. Bill ?__'_

The chuckled response from S. Bill, _"__You__'__re all nuts, dude, completely and utterly nuts.__"_

Mentally he sighed and wondered, _'__How much time till I get back to real you, S. Bill ?__'_

"_Way too much thyme, if you ask me.__"_

That made him chuckle to himself as, once again, he wished he was home. Hell, he missed everybody so badly; he wouldn't even have minded seeing his dad just for a second.

When he finally managed to get the wrap right, the stars had already come out and supper was ready. After he unwrapped his hand, he ate listening to the others talking quietly about home - Jim was from Louisiana, Maria was from North Carolina and Soren was from South Dakota.

The next topic they got to was music and Soren asked, "Ted, didn't you say you're in a band ?"

Major Mann raised an eyebrow as he answered, "Yeah, Wyld Stallyns, with my best friend Bill. Though, we're not quite so good at the music part yet. Bill's going to start teaching me what he learned in guitar lessons at Christmas."

Conversation moved to favourite books and he let himself drift out of it. It was a good supper, but he would be glad to start heading back for the academy tomorrow morning.

'_Dear God, it__'__s almost Christmas, I can almost see Bill again, soon. Deacon too, can__'__t forget him__…__I wish I could take rabbit Bill home to show actual Bill; he__'__d find it weird too.__'_

Something happened when he lay down in his sleep bag - it was like he suddenly merged with the ground underneath him; something shifted in a hidden burrow, while at the same time he twitched his ears at the loud sounds above him, and his fur brushed against the walls. Still, as he fell asleep it merged into one of his, lately very weird, dreams.

He shuddered and cowered into the grass as something impossibly huge and dark-blue/green roared past him. It was too loud, far, far too loud and then he felt more vibrations through the ground, then saw along with heard something huge above him.

Talons wrapped around his stomach, lifting him as he squealed in panic. The hawk pulled him against its stomach, then one foot released and started…petting him ? It was a gentle movement, then softly rumbled words, "Ssh, that thing's not going to hurt you, Bill's not gonna let it hurt you."

The warmth faded away slowly and then he woke up missing Bill terribly. For a half asleep second, he sensed that Soren stood over him, gently shaking him as he opened his eyes. So, he got out of the sleeping bag to sit by the fire. It was rather quiet except for the owl for a long time, then as Maria was murmuring in her sleep and Jim's snoring got louder a white snowshoe rabbit popped up from under his sleeping bag to eye him warily.

'_First I have bogus dreams about being a rabbit and now another one comes up to me. Mm, maybe it__'__s one of rabbit Bill__'__s little friends. Look at that, it__'__s got red eyes, I don__'__t think I__'__ve seen one with red eyes before. As long as it__'__s not crazy like that eagle it__'__s cool.__'_

Then the rabbit slowly crept up to sit down beside him until it was daylight and then disappeared back into its hole under his bag. He somehow knew it didn't want him to show its hole to anyone, not that he would have. _'__Finally, time to start back to the academy.__'_

Three days later, he sighed in relief as he sat down on his bed; leaned over to pull the brown suitcase from under the bed to put his gloves away and get out a fresh towel for his shower. After he'd put the gloves on top of everything else, he dug for the towel and pulled it out to see a letter with 'Theodore' written across it in fancy handwriting settled at the very bottom.

'_How did I miss this when I got the suitcase out for the first time ?__'_

"_Ted, you were pretty heinously angry/stressed out then, no one would__'__ve thought you__'__d see it. C__'__mon man, let__'__s see what it__'__s about. Open it, open it, it__'__s probably from your mom __'__cause I__'__ve never seen your dad use girly handwriting.__"_

'_Maybe it__'__s about why she left, maybe she couldn__'__t handle dad__'__s strictness. Maybe she knew I__'__d need help dealing with dad.__'_

His hands shook slightly as he moved to sit back against the wall and carefully opened the letter:

* * *

><p>My dearest little Theodore,<p>

I know you probably won't have seen me for a long time when you read this, but I hope you're doing good. You might notice that you're easily distracted some times, can't hold a thought for long or become overly paranoid if you feel threatened or scared - there's a reason for that. You're little brother/sister will be here soon, and in my family it's tradition to tell the 'family secret' to the oldest first so that if they have siblings they can explain it later.

Now, you've probably gone through some weird things growing up like - empathizing with animals, or more importantly merging with the nearest animal. Normally, the animal you merge with is the one that you can shift or transform into. With my family it's normally rabbits, your father's family as far as we know is just normal without shifting blood.

In case you have any…odd troubles if you run into any eagles of any kind, they're normally a very loosely connected family, but some of them will shred you if they don't like you just because you've got prey blood.

I've had a bit of trouble with a family of eagle shifters in the past, it's because the eagle's great-grandfather went back on a deal with your great-grandfather and then blamed him for it. I've managed to evade Morton Smith for about three or four years at a time, I've kept really quiet so I'm hoping to be able to raise your sibling for a little bit before he gets too close for our safety. When he does, I'll leave and your dad will protect you as long as he can to keep Morton from finding you.

Your father's more strict with you not only because of Morton, but because your first shift, if you do shift at all, if your emotions and such aren't in control, can happen any time, anywhere and you could be stuck for days or months on end in animal form. If you get stuck unless you find a safe place or someone to take care of you, you'd be in great danger for the above reasons.

That's why I'm hoping that if you do end up being a shifter that it's only after you're done high school. There are some other shifter families in San Dimas, but I don't know their human names, we didn't talk much about human things - one of them's a family of scorpions and another's a family of goshawks. You might even know them and not know it at all, there may even be some that I don't know.

Either way, I wish you the best luck with your life,

Mom

* * *

><p>In shock, he closed it and went to put it away, he'd dropped the envelope on the floor. Slowly, like an out of body experience, as he picked it up, he noticed a photo it was of his dad, mom and himself as a baby while mom held him; he was holding the worn black rabbit plushy that dad had never gotten rid of, even when Deacon had nearly ripped it's head off at age four. In it, his mom had long, wavy black-hair, pale-skin and dark-eyes, she wore a long, black dress with purple swirls on it.<p>

'_This__…__how can this be real ? B-but it has to be real, there__'__s no reason mom would lie to me, she__'__s not around so she wouldn__'__t get anything out of it. D-did that eagle attack me not because I saved rabbit Bill, but because with my hair at shoulder-length I looked so much like mom ? Is that white eagle really Morton Smith ? Is he trying to get at me because he can__'__t find her ? It does explain some of dad__'__s curfews and stuff like that, so there he really was just trying to protect me, doesn__'__t explain why he__'__s so against me telling Bill how I feel though. I suppose there__'__s not an answer for everything, but if we do save the future Bill and I can make it not matter anymore. The letter explains why that rabbit sat by me and felt like it could trust me, why I felt like I could understand it. Still, now that I know this__…__is rabbit Bill just a regular rabbit or is rabbit Bill a relative of actual Bill ? How do you tell the difference between a regular rabbit and a shifter rabbit ?__'_

Soren asked, startling him into dropping the photo that Soren caught and looked at for a second, "Is that a picture of your family ? Your mom looks like she's really nice."

He looked up running a hand through his hair as he replied, "Yeah, except my little brother Deacon wasn't born yet, but I don't really remember my mom."

Green-eyes turned sad but also curious as Soren handed the photo back, "Oh, did something happen to her ?"

Gently, he tucked the picture back in with the letter and tucked it back in the suitcase, "She had to leave because she got in a fight with someone over an old family feud and they wouldn't leave her alone."

Soren suddenly slammed a fist into his open palm, "Feuds are fucking stupid, Ted. When I tried stopping the one my dad had going with the Mason family, they live across the street from us, he sent me here to 'learn respect' for old things. It's so stupid and pointless, you shouldn't hate somebody just cause your parents say you have to, like my mom tried doing with me and Allison Mason. She said Allison had ruined my Gr. 2 art project, but when I asked Allie she said it was David Johnson who'd done it, not her."

Since it seemed that Soren's rant was finished, he nodded and said, "They really are, but I think I'm going to go take a shower now. Hey, are you going home for Christmas, since you went home for Thanksgiving ?"

As he got up Soren shook his head, "Nope, I got the choice of going home for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, but not both. Are you going home for Christmas ?"

"Yep, I can't wait to get home. Yet it's hard to believe we've been here for what a month, two months, three ? Something like that anyways."

Excitement coursed through him at the thought, but as he remembered the letter and mom's warning about possibly shifting, he calmed down. _'__I wouldn__'__t want to get stuck as a rabbit all the way up here and try to find my way back home then. Holy shit it__'__s back again.__'_

His excitement turned to fear as, when he walked into the barracks light-green bathrooms/ shower stalls, he saw the white eagle perching on the small window ledge outside. It flared its huge wings and hit the glass with its beak, obviously trying to shatter it and get at him.

Jim wandered in with his own bathroom things, his friend looking at him was worried as his southern accent was more noticeable, "Wha's the problem, Ted ?"

"It's that heinously persistent eagle again, Jim. It just won't go away."

The dark-blond started shouting, "Ah, you old fa-therbag you go 'way, yer not wanted 'ere. Go awn, git your feathered ass outta 'ere."

Morton or whoever it was had winged away from the window, smacked it with their talons and flown away with an angry screech.

'_That thing has got to be Morton Smith or someone from his family, a regular eagle wouldn__'__t go to this length to get at me. Feuds really __**are**__ bogus, oh thank God, he__'__s gone__…__for now. __God I hope I can at least have Christmas without worrying about him. If he does show up, I hope dad shoots him or something. Ugh, enough of this I need to take a shower.__'_

So, he did take a shower and then he went to bed. He fell asleep, into a nightmare of his mom and Bill being attacked by Morton/the eagle. At least, they were until she shifted into rabbit form and ran off with the eagle close behind her, leading it away from Bill.


	8. Holiday

**Holiday**

For Ted the next few weeks flew by in a blur of classes, exams and exercises, interspersed with white eagle fly-bys and more scrapes. Seeming an instant later, he was saying a temporary good-bye to the last of his friends before getting off the plane. Said plane which had already been delayed by damage just before they'd taken off again in South Dakota, so the others would probably only get home really late or early on Christmas itself.

He hugged Maria, "See you in a few days, Maria. Stay wilful won't you ?"

"Oh, I will don't worry, say hi to Bill for me ?"

They pulled away as he replied, "Mmhm, tell your mom the same."

She nodded and then he turned to the dark-blond as Jim clapped him on the shoulder, "Don't get in too much trouble with yer old man, Teddy, I wanna see ya back on here."

"I'll try not too, but I can't promise anything. Tell Pa Moss I said hello."

"Course I will. See ya later, buddy."

Again, he nodded and picked up his suitcase before walking out of the plane. _'It's odd not seeing any snow after getting used to it. Hey, there's dad, too bad Deacon's not here. I guess he's still with Bill, oh god, I can finally see him today or tomorrow.'_

Dad, still in his uniform, who'd been leaning against the car, walked around and opened the trunk for him. It was slightly awkward as he put the suitcase away because Dad kept staring at him like dad'd never seen him before. _'At least, if it was Bill it would make sense and it'd feel nice instead.'_

They got in the car as dad started the car and, again, looked at him, he finally muttered, "Eer...hi, dad. So, uh, how've you been ?"

_'I know Deacon and Bill are good, besides the fact that I wouldn't tell Bill when I was getting home. I just couldn't ever phone dad and ask about mom/the shifting thing, because too many people were around to hear it.'_

The car started moving and he stared at the empty road for a bit before dad finally answered, "It's odd not having you and Deacon around the house, since he's still staying at Al-Mr. Preston's house. The house feels weird when it's quiet without your...ah, music."

"Heh, radical. But, why'd you always call Mr. Preston that ? Mom always called Mrs. Preston, Daisy, but I've heard you call him by his first name."

A hand brushed over the black moustache briefly, not doing a good job of covering a snarl.

Another odd thought, _'He's gonna attack me, hide. Find some place to hide, safe place, dark place.'_, and he found himself trying to push himself into the shadows of the passenger door.

Meanwhile, dad had gone into a rant, "Ironically, we were a lot like yourself and William, the best of friends, at least, until he tried to steal your mother from me, after she came back from Alaska with me. I didn't mind her going over to visit Daisy, but then they had their kids on the same day, at the same time, in the same damned room. After that I, foolishly, hoped that would be the end of it. Of course, your mother started planning play-dates and you and William were the best of friends. So much so that when she left I couldn't help you, only **he** could and then eventually you started doing even more things together. Then that, that band of yours started and it felt like William was trying to steal you from me like Allen tried stealing your mother, because I hardly ever saw you at all."

_'Alaska ? Mom was from Alaska ? Is that why dad sent me to Oates ? Well, besides Morton, probably. I've never heard how dad met mom.'_

"So, like, how'd you meet Mom in Alaska ?"

Dad nodded as the was pulled over to the side, "I'd taken a week off to go hunting in the winter. I'd just seen a giant moose walk out of a bunch of trees. Suddenly, it bolted and I got attacked by an, I figured starving, old white wolf. The wolf got me real good in the leg and I couldn't feel it because it'd gone numb from the snow. I thought I was going to die in that clearing until this rabbit hopped to sit beside my head, I thought I was imagining it when the rabbit put its paws on my arm. Remember thinking my death was assured when the rabbit suddenly turned into a beautiful woman and back into a rabbit. Don't know how long I waited there, but then more rabbit's showed up and turned into people. When I woke up Emily quietly told me about how the old wolf had really been old Mr. Quentin, that she and her family were a bunch of rabbit shifters. It didn't seem real, so I still thought I was having a fever dream or something, except it wasn't, it was real."

His heart was thudding in his throat and he felt dizzy as the letter was verbally confirmed as true. "Mom's letter wasn't bogus after all. I really could've turned into a rabbit whenever for whatever reason ? Why didn't you tell me that was why you were always so strict ? Why didn't you ever tell me the range was probably as much because of, possibly, shifting as my being gay ?"

Nothing could have made him expect dad to unclip his seatbelt and turn to him. "I thought if I didn't tell you that Morton Smith wouldn't be able to find you and Deacon. I didn't want to risk it, but you kept on hanging out with William and I thought if you shifted in front of him, he wouldn't be able to keep it quiet."

That made him snort, "Well, your plan went south and way past Bogusville to Fucked-up city.", so he'd picked up a bad habit of actually swearing sometimes, it happened when one of your Sergeant's and your newer friends liked to swear, sometimes, a lot.

An angry exclamation of, "Don't you talk to me that, Theodore Logan, I'm still your father." Followed by, "Wait, what ? How ?"

There was a loud thud as something slammed into the back windshield. _'How come I know who that's going to be ? Why can't the letter have explained that 'feud' of mom's family and the Smiths' ?'_

When he twisted, he was, of course, right. Still, he didn't expect dad to turn and snarl, "Morton.", in the coldest, angriest tone he'd ever heard his dad use.

Neither did he expect dad to get out of the car and say, "Ted go back home, **now** !"

"How ?! I can't drive and what about you ?"

"Driving's not that hard, plus I'm a cop I'm supposed to be able to deal with fuckers like Morton. Your Uncle Jack's dealt with worse than him, so why can't I handle one asshole ?" That was punctuated by the echo of a gunshot and a screech of pain.

_'Wahoo, go dad !' _Quickly as he could he unbuckled his seat belt and slid to the driver's side, while dad helpfully called instructions. Despite that he only went a little ways away, until dad and Morton had disappeared from sight.

_'Is dad gonna be okay ? I mean Morton's a fucking eagle with talons and a beak, but what if dad runs out of bullets ? It'd be heinous...why am __**I**__ running ? I should be helping dad.'_

On that thought, he got out of the car and started running back. It was a lot easier running on bare pavement, than it was slogging through nearly thigh-deep snow in 22 degree weather.

It amazed him that when he reached his dad, that Morton had flown off, blood drops peppered the way back toward the airport. Slowly, dad turned back around to look at him as the gun was holstered, Morton'd raked one of dad's cheeks leaving three shallow looking, but bloody cuts behind.

Those cuts made him look at his hands, it was amazing how many scars, besides all the times he'd scraped himself on gravel because of Morton, he'd managed to build up in just a few months. Mom's letter hadn't made him clumsy, but apparently reading it had been a sign to the universe to make him have more accidents, the most asked about scar was the longest one he had, it was on his right hand and it was from the day before Thanksgiving.

**Flashback**

He looked over at Sergeant Smith both himself and the gray-eyed man had offered to help prep food for themselves and the others who'd stayed behind. There was the sound of something big hitting the roof. That, of course, made him startle, the knife slipped, and, somehow, nearly completely cut his palm open lengthwise.

The sergeant must have heard his hiss, because the white-haired head turned to look at him. Surprisingly the first words weren't, "You are a fucking idiot, Logan !", no those were the second words. The first word was a simple, "Infirmary.", as the older man suddenly pressed a clean, cold and damp cloth into his palm.

As they walked out of the mess hall, the sergeant said, "You know Logan, I had something like this happen to me down in Rowanda.", the man lifted his left hand, part of the tanned-skin was lighter because a thick horizontal scar spread across it, "Of course, that wasn't an accident on those assholes parts. Me and my guys we got ambushed in this little hotel we were clearing - they were planning on torturing us by cutting us up. Damn glad those reinforcements got there before any of us died, well, I still nearly died because that knife was rusty and had old blood on it."

_'Oh wow, what a thing to go through. Oh crap, fuck it's bleeding, like, a lot.'_

Pressed the cloth harder against the wound, more than slightly worried about all the blood that was soaking through and tried not to show it as he said, "Oh, well...err, I'm glad you're all right, Sir. It would've been odd not having you here."

"No it wouldn't have, you wouldn't have known to miss me then. Just remember - keep it clean or you just might lose it."

_'That doesn't sound very fun, that sounds extremely grody and henious. I'm not losing my hand just because of some accident. Gah, what was that ? There's a bear on the roof. Wait, how did a __**bear**__ get on the roof ?'_

_"Dude, don't worry about how it got there, focus and fucking __**run**__ !"_

That bear ended up trapping himself, the sergeant and Nurse Mckay in the infirmary for hours without a useful weapon. Eventually, though it was Major Mann and Sergeant O'Hare who saved them by scaring the bear away with shotguns.

**End Flashback**

He couldn't help flexing his right hand which twinged slightly at the memory.

Dad exclaimed, drawing him fully back into the present, "What're you doing here ? I told you to** go home !**"

"I figured you probably needed help, you're gonna wanna go to the hospital when we get back so those don't get like majorly infected or something. That was the most badass thing I've ever seen you do, that was **awesome** ! Uncle Jack's never done anything like that, now you way cooler than him too."

"Heh, finally something I'll have over my little brother. I'll have to call him and tell him that. I'm guessing you want me to drop you off at Allen and William's ?"

His uncle Jack had been forced to leave with his grandmom when she'd divorced his granddad and married some guy named Mike Traven who lived up in L.A. Uncle Jack was a cop too, except that Uncle Jack was a S.W.A.T guy.

They started back to the car as he answered, "You can just drive to the hospital, I'll walk to Bill's house it's not that far after what I've done at the academy."

For the first time ever, the silence between himself and dad in the car was comfortable instead of awkward or angry. By the time they reached the San Dimas hospital it was dark and the street lights were coming on. _'With this many lights it's barely even dark outside, this'll be easy.'_

It really was and he sighed in combined relief/nerves as Bill's house came into sight. The first knock was easy and seconds later Deacon was staring at him. His little brother had grown an inch or two but still grinned, "Ted, Ted, you're back. Hey, B-"

Mr. Preston put a hand on Deacon's shoulder and ran a hand through his own red/brown-hair as he interrupted, "Why don't you let Ted surprise him, eh ? Especially since Bill doesn't know he's here."

Slowly, he walked into the white-walled house that was nearly as familiar as his own, up the dark-wooded stair case to stand in front of Bill's bedroom door. Quietly, he dropped the suitcase onto the floor, before he stared, briefly wrung his hands and took a deep breath before hesitantly knocking.

A grumpy sounding, "This Christmas Eve is heinously boring enough as it is, just like, go away."

He called back, "Unfortunately, Bill, my most wonderful of friends I happen to be stranded as the plane has already left and I'm so not walking back to Alaska. That'd be like the most compeletly and utterly bogus thing I've done in months." Muttered to himself, "Besides, I'm totally exhausted as is."

Academy instinct made him tense as the door flew open, then a much shorter blur flew into his arms with a happy shout of, "Ted ! Dude, you're back." Comparatively, soft hands and arms slammed into his shoulder blades which prompted, "Ted, my most excellent friend, you just hurt my hand and it's tingling radically."

That made him laugh, then he shivered as pale hands drifted over his back and sides when the curly haired blond pulled away from him. Dark-brown eyes met his as Bill stared at him, before the warm gaze moved to stare at his hair which had finally really started growing again, but was still short.

His gaze drifted down over his friend/love noting that Bill was wearing the same raggedly cut, pale and trim but not muscled midriff baring, white-shirt and gray sweater as when he left. It was odd that Bill looked exactly the same, but he was so different.

As his friend moved past him to pick up his suit case, he walked into Bill's room. Because it was so much hotter in the house than it was outside, he ditched his jacket on the floor and sighed in relief. Then he eyed the guitar that was leaned against the wall by the closet, the one Bill would've used for his lessons. Suddenly tired, he yawned and stretched slowly.

They sat down on Bill's bed, talking about random stuff after he remembered to tell Bill hi from Maria. Bill said giving him a look, "Dude, it just doesn't seem real you having actual muscle."

That'd made him chuckle, "It's real alright.", before pulled off his red jacket and his shirt. Being in the barracks had slightly dulled his sensitivity to seeing and generally being around naked people, since everyone'd been caught naked, at least, once during a surprise barracks inspection.

Bill reached out slowly and, despite hugging him earlier, poked him as if expecting him to disappear in a puff of smoke. When he didn't disappear Bill's hand started sliding down his chest and trailed splayed fingers over his abs with a disbelieving, "Dude, you're totally hard all over." _'I can't believe he just said that with a straight face. Doesn't he realize what that sounds like or is it only me that notices when he does that ?'_

He found himself trying to hold his breath, and not squirm, as Bill's fingers started back upward because it tickled even more. _'Well, he happens to be even more ticklish than I am.' _ A breathless laugh before with an evil grin he tackled Bill back onto the bed and as Bill hit the pillow he started his own 'attack'.

Which got a gasped response of, "No, ahh, Ted stop it ! Gah...dude, you're **so**...not fair !", as he easily pinned both of Bill's wrists in one hand when Bill tried to stop him.

A cute pout before he released his friends hands, it didn't surprise him when Bill smacked him in the chest with an open palm, then, "Ouch ! Man stop hurting me, my hand just went numb."

Chuckled slightly as he rolled off to lay beside Bill and yawned, "Well, if you do-n't hit me I can-n't hurt you can I ?", and fell instantly asleep.

**Dream**

Mom looked down at him and asked, "Should I tell you a bedtime story, Theodore ?"

"Yeah."

Mom folded pale arms over her chest, "You forgot to say please. If you don't say it you won't get a story."

"Please, mom. Ooh, can Bill be in it ?"

A warm smile as she sat on the edge of the bed, "Of course, he can, sweetie.", and he lay down.

Streetlamp light filtered through the curtains while mom started to talk, "One day in the kingdom of Lapus where everyone could turn into bunnies, there was a little black-haired baby boy born to the King and Queen, his name was Theodore, Prince of Lapus. At the same time, in a kingdom close-by called Lume, a blond boy was born and called William, Prince of Lume. Years later, the royal family from Lume came to visit Lapus. While no one in Lume could turn into bunnies, they were great friends with the Lapa and the royal families even more so. The two families hoped that their respective sons Theodore and William would continue the tradition. They needn't have worried because as soon as the two saw each other they were the very best of friends. As they grew and learned they visited each other's homes frequently. One day as Theodore was visiting William word reached him that the evil sorcerer Raptus was trying to take over Lapus. After many days of travel and later a long battle during which nearly killed both princes they made an excellent victory and saved Lapus from destruction."

"You know what, Mom ?"

"What ?"

"Bill and me are gonna have tons of excellent victors."

His mom's dimly heard reply of, "Vic-tor-ez, Theodore, victories and you'll have many.", as he fell asleep.

**End Dream**

In the morning, before he opened his eyes he thought, _'That was some dream of Dad saving me and stuff.'_, or, at least, he did until he noticed a warm, snoring body pressed up against his. His nose was nearly buried in blond curls and the scent was besides musk, somehow, really kind of cinnamon-y. Slowly he got up and tried to move his arm from where it'd come to rest around Bill's chest, but then found Bill's arm had tangled around his during the night.

He sighed softly and thought, _'Do I __**really**__ have to wake him up ?'_, then prepared to wake Bill up.


	9. Startle

**Startle**

Ted leaned down and whispered, "Bill, Bi-ill, dude, wake up.", as he twitched his, now, sleeping hand trying to wake it up.

Even asleep, Bill turned to answer him in mumbles, "T...ed, g'way, seep.", and proceeded to further strangle his arm's circulation by tightening his grip.

Half-smiled, rolled his eyes and murmured, as sunlight started filtering through the window onto the white wall, "Already told you I'm tired."

_'Don't want to sleep in since I'll just have to get up at four or five in a few days anyway. I'll have to do my run some time today I can go check on Dad then. Shit, I forgot to tell Deacon what happened to Dad.'_

He was distracted from those thoughts at the response of, "N-o, hot.", along with the rush of heat and butterflies it brought with it.

_'It's probably only a little what'd Sergeant Smith call it, "Friendly flirting - the alternate and even more emotionally rocky version of friendly fire. Mainly it happens after someone's been gone for a long time and suddenly shows up greatly changed, in your case it would be physically and mentally, only to disappear when the 'newness' of your appearance wears off. If it happens to you, Logan, buck up it happens to everybody once.", yeah probably just that...Hmpf, could I...try and shift ? If it would work would I get my arm back ? Not that I don't mind this, but I'm really starting to need to go to the bathroom. Why couldn't Mom have told me how to shift on purpose ? Then I could go and probably get back before he woke up.' _

Took a deep breath, then tried to imagine himself as a rabbit and the image that popped up was him still human just with a tail and ears. With that failure he managed an actual rabbit-self and waited for something to happen - a puff of smoke, carrot colored smoke ? could carrots smoke or did they just steam like hot springs ?, a flash of light, anything at all - it didn't.

Just then blond eyelashes fluttered half-open to reveal pretty, sleep-hazed, dark-brown eyes, "I just had the most heinous nightmare in, like, all of history that you left me. You wouldn't do that, right, Ted ?"

"Not forever, Bill, not forever.," _'Oh god, that sounds so mushy and stupid I'm glad he's not fully awake yet.'_ Not wanting to give Bill too much time to realize what he'd just, he continued, "Do you think I could get my arm back ? You're kind of, like, killing my circulation."

At that Bill was looking far more alert and blushed in embarrassment before fingers slid over his arm releasing him, a stammered, "U-uh...yeah, s-sure, well, I mean it is** your **arm after all, it's not like I have much use for it. Sorry, Ted."

As he rolled off the bed onto the floor, he replied, "Don't worry about it, I've had way worse stuff happen.", then he crouched, opened his suitcase and got his supplies out before leaving the room and going down the hallway to the bathroom.

Deacon emerged as he stopped in front of the door, his little brother stared at him just like dad had yesterday and then, "You look funny now, I mean you look weirder than that guy you got to play Napoleon a few months ago. That guy was funny too, did you tell him to only speak French or something ?"

"Uh, we figured it'd be more authentic if he did; and I think he was more comfortable that way, plus we passed so I don't think it really mattered. Oh, you know that eagle that was following me ?"

"Yeah, what about it ?"

"It attacked Dad yesterday after he picked me up, he's gonna have a few scars now, but he's okay...I think."

Deacon tilted his head and then nodded before moving aside without further word. It felt odd to be by himself in the bathroom. _'It feels weird, I'm so used to being surrounded by noisy people and now it's just me.'_ His routine didn't take very long at all, compared to in the beginning when he, and nearly everyone, had gotten yelled at for taking too long.

When he exited the bathroom, it was to see Bill standing in front of the door holding his shirt and staring off into space. _'I thought I was the only one of us who did that. Well, at least, I won't get punched like with Soren that one time...I hope.'_

He waved a hand in front of Bill's face, "Dude are you okay ?"

Bill startled, jumping about a foot in the air, "Don't **do** that, man. You're gonna like kill me if you do that too often. Uh, I'm guessing you want this now ?"

It almost seemed like Bill was reluctant to hand his shirt over, but the blond was distracted by seeing the underside of his palm and asking, "What happened to your hand ?"

Took his t-shirt and pulled it on before he answered, "Training, accidents, all sorts of stuff."

Before Bill could ask him to specify, Missy called, "Deacon, Bill, Ted, breakfast's ready."

Deacon and Bill started racing down the stairs, just because he felt like trying to impress Bill, he walked to the top of the stairs and vaulted over to land in a now, by long months of training, hard-wired crouch.

His brother and his friend both exclaimed, "That was totally** awesome **!"

Mr. Preston asked, "What's awesome ?"

"Dad you totally should have seen what Ted just did ! He, like, jumped over the railing just like in one of those action movies."

Mr. Preston nodded, "Well that does sound impressive, Ted. I'll bet you boys are hungry as anything, well go on, sit down. We'll do presents after everyone's done."

They all walked into the dining room/kitchen and he, of course, sat down beside Bill. _'Wow, I haven't seen this many types of food on one table in months. Did I bring the carvings with ? Oh, yeah, Maria reminded me too. Thank God for Maria.'_


End file.
